I
was listening to a message from Francis Chan on trials. In that message he said
that if we understand the purpose of trials, we would be able to look at those
trials with a positive and perhaps even welcoming perspective. It really made
me think about the current trials we are facing as a nation because of Covid
19. It’s hard to look at something so life altering and difficult and think
that something good could come from it. But, if God is allowing it then there
is definitely a purpose.
In
the trials faced by the church of Thessalonica, Paul could see the good, the
positives, the bigger picture of what God was doing. I think that is a
recurring character trait of Paul. He looked for the good instead of focusing
on the personal difficulty and suffering and he encouraged others to do the
same. Paul noticed that yes there was trial and difficulty, but this group of
believers were not focused on personal hardship but rather focused on their
faith in God and there love for each other. As a result, their faith and love
was growing and thriving.
“We
ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so,
because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for
one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your
perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are
enduring.” (v3-4)
What
if this is such a time for us and our nation? What an impact we, as a body of
believers can have if we choose to focus on our faith and our love for each
other? What if we choose to look for the good that can come from this? This is
a time for “the family” to become a focus. It’s a time to have meals, and
conversations around a table again. It’s a time to have devotions and prayer
times. We can’t go to church buildings but we can encourage each other on
social media. We can also
meet
virtually which is what 23 of us did in my local community this morning. I’m
going to ask my daughter who is 7 hours away to join us next Sunday. I never
imagined having the opportunity for her and her husband to join us for church
in this capacity.
This
idea of looking for the good in the trial is something I’m going to take with
me to work tomorrow also. To be honest, that is going to be my biggest
challenge because I work in a hospital and I provide very direct patient care.
I watched 22 of my coworkers get sent home to quarantine Friday because of our
first positive test result. I’ve never seen such tension in my work setting
before and it’s disturbing how much has changed in such a short time. But, God
goes with me and God can use me. That is going to be my focus.
Perhaps
God is using this crisis in our nation to draw people to him, to wake up those
who have become spiritually complacent, and to help faithful believers
prioritize their values as well. I am certainly reminded of how desperately
dependent upon God we all are and how fragile the circumstances of this life
can be. God is a holy God who loves mankind and will certainly shake up our
worlds if needed to get our attention. May we persevere, knowing our God will
reward such faith and may we have a passion for the souls of others because
eventually God will return and opportunity will be no more. May we, as the
representatives of Christ, rise to the hour and do our part to “shine” in a
time of great spiritual need.